Welcome Pan, a friend and new writer for the site! Today’s article is about coming out, and the stress surrounding it. Feel free to comment, or email Casey! Thank you!

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Coming out. It’s kind of a rite of passage in the LGBT+ community that involves disclosing a part of one’s identity be it sexual orientation or gender identity, perhaps even both. The whole thing results from cis-heteronormativity; we are all expected to be cisgender and heterosexual until we say otherwise. It probably works for many people, but for those of us who it doesn’t, we probably wish we weren’t expected to be anything but ourselves.So what does it mean to come out as nonbinary? Well, in the most basic definition, coming out as nonbinary would mean telling someone about identifying as nonbinary. However, coming out is generally more complicated than that. First, there are reactions to worry about. Will who I am telling be accepting, or will they hate me? This can be especially scary if this person has significant influence over your life, like a parent for instance. While there are a range of reactions, there are sort of three main categories: good, apathetic, and negative. A good reaction would be acceptance, an apathetic reaction would be when someone basically ignores it and continues as normal, while a bad reaction could result in violence be it physical, verbal, or otherwise. It is completely normal to fear a bad reaction, but what if you are fairly confidant the reaction won’t be bad but are still afraid to come out?

Well, secondly we have to wonder, will I be understood? While nonbinary identities are not new to the twenty-first century, they are severely underrepresented. Not many people will know what it means. Even with some explanation, it can be hard to understand without feeling it yourself. Understanding is independent of the kind of reaction you get. Someone can be loving and supporting and still not understand. While the support is much appreciated, one can still end up feeling alone after coming out if they feel they aren’t understood.

There also seems to be this expectation that when coming out as trans* or nonbinary one should have a transition plan all set in place and a name and pronouns all picked out. This is something I struggle with. I know what medical steps I want to take in my nonbinary transition, but I am unsure if I want to change my name or request different pronouns. I wonder, why even come out if all I am going to say is, “I’m trans,” and then offer nothing more. What expectations do I have of the people I tell? Coming out is built up to be this big thing, but all I want is for my family to know, I don’t want it to be a big deal. It can be hard for me to accept that coming out is about sharing something personal about me and that people who care about me shouldn’t need anything more than that. It is okay not to have it all figured out and still come out.

Coming out as nonbinary has a unique side as well. Socially, there is really only male and female. When we see someone on the street our brains attempt to categorize them as “male” or “female” despite what they might actually be. Passing as nonbinary isn’t much of a thing. We will almost always be messengered one way or another, and we either have to accept this will happen or constantly come out to every person we meet. Honestly, coming out that much sounds exhausting.

So, what is my experience with coming out as nonbinary, specifically agender? Well my friends were all accepting, even if not understanding it. One of my friends knew almost absolutely nothing about the difference between gender, sex, and sexual orientation. Now she is minoring in gender studies. Another of my friends was confused at first and didn’t understand why I would transition. This was short lived, however. I am very lucky to have such amazing and supportive friends.

Coming out to doctors and therapists has been scary for me, but only had positive results. It can be intense to come out to your doctor, but generally they will want to help you.

As for coming out to my family, I have only told my parents and sibling. I got somewhat mixed reactions. My dad was accepting, but it took him a little while. He didn’t have a negative reaction, rather he just seemed overwhelmed by everything. After a couple weeks of collecting himself, he was very supportive and was suggesting names for me and asking me about all kinds of transition related things. It stressed me out for a little while, because I kept trying to communicate that I am not a boy, and that message took some time to get through. I think he more or less gets it now. My mom reacted well at first, but then she seemed to go into denial about it for a while. I have known for a long time I want top surgery and while talking about it she would be very quiet and just say, “I see.” She is accepting overall but definitely doesn’t understand it. My sibling is completely fine, no bad reaction there. Maybe slight confusion at first, but it was easily cleared up.

My extended family is who I am afraid to tell. I know they won’t understand. I have considered just telling them I am a trans man, because they would at least understand that a little more. But then, how can I tell them that and not give them a male name to use? If I come out as nonbinary, will they ignore it and continue on as usual? Often, as a nonbinary person, I don’t feel trans enough. This can complicate coming out, because one might feel the need to “play up” their “trans-ness” in order to be accepted.

So I guess if your planning on coming out as nonbinary just consider a few things:

1. Am I safe? What will I do if there is a bad reaction?

2. How will I tell people? Should I write a letter? Should I tell them in person? Do I want to come out to everyone or a few people?

3. What are the expectations I have for others? Do I want to go by another name or pronouns, or do I just want to be accepted? What advice can I give on being a good ally?

4. Do I want to explain what my identity means, or just explain that I am questioning? What do I want others to understand about me?

Just remember, you get to choose when to come out, and if you don’t want to that is okay too. But if you do want to, then also know that even if you feel insignificant the people who really love will won’t find something you feel is important about you to be insignificant.

Agender identities can have many meanings. It varies between different people. Sometimes it means no gender, or feeling a lack of connection to gender, while other times it may mean that the person feels ultimately neutral, between the 2 binary genders. Then another definition is that sometimes people feel their gender is something outside the binary, though there, is unknowable or hard to define.

Agender people can present and express their gender in many different ways, masculine, feminine, or androgynously as they feel fit. I spoke with several Agender people and asked them how they expressed their gender, and how it meant to them. They explained how their gender affects their expression.

Someone on Reddit called “ciniceasura” explained to me, they being Agender meant they were genderless, and followed up by explaining to me that “they don’t have a gender to express.” Which I assume means they dress however they want, regardless of gender. Another person under the username “NeoMahler” told me they feel outside of gender. Someone called “thebatmancuber” I found through an LGBT amino explained to me that it means that they don’t need to fit gender stereotypes. That they felt allowed to be whoever they wanted! All different and personal reasons for identifying in the way that they do. Being Agender for these people is what makes them comfortable, but as with any trans identity, it comes with its own dysphoria.

The batmancuber told me that they felt dysphoric about their chest, and their hair, which some, like myself can relate to. They told me that they preferred their short hair, or they felt too feminine. They also told me they didn’t strive for the typical androgynous idea that nonbinary people are usually cast as. They dress masculine, and feel comfortable in their gender identity, dressing that way. Neo told me that their gender dysphoria was mostly socially based, when people insinuated their masculinity or blatantly called them out as male.

Dysphoria is really different for everyone in the Nonbinary community, but I found that it is very similar to trans binary people. I myself came to figure out I was Nonbinary due to the gender dysphoria that I experience, and due to this, it prompted me to ask these people how they figured it out.

“I realized that gender didn’t really mean anything to me.” Cinceasura told me, “after years of not sympathizing with women or associating myself with them conceptually, I started settling on the idea that I just don’t have a gender or really believe in gender at all.” I liked that. They felt apathetic to gender, and that women were a different gender to their own, outside of gender.

When I talked to neo about being Agender, they explained to me that they had seen a documentary, which had triggered the questioning. “At first, I thought I was a girl, but that just didn’t feel right… Finally I googled ‘I’m not a boy, I’m not a girl’ and stumbled upon Nonbinary identities.” They told me that they felt most comfortable with the Agender label.

Another important question I felt compelled to ask, was “What do you want people to know about being Agender?” And I received great replies.

“We aren’t just ‘inventing’ it. We aren’t the first Nonbinary people in the world…” Neo then referenced the Hijra, an Indian Nonbinary identity, usually relating to trans feminine people, who were protectors, or the Bugi people from Indonesia who recognize 5 genders.

“We are valid.” batmancuber told me. They said that though it’s not typical or easy to understand, that they should be accepted. I couldn’t agree more.

Though we all see gender through a different lense, I believe that gender, or the lack of, can sometimes be a frustrating topic to figure out on your own. These people have all identified as Agender, anywhere from a few months, to several years, and all of them struggled or really thought about who they were. If you are questioning or think you may be Agender, then I urge you to take your time. I hope this resource and article have helped you. If you have further questions, feel free to email me at CaseyCashew77@gmail.com.

This is the first in a series of posts which I plan on writing and posting every Monday. Feel free to stop by next week for our next installment “Agender means No gender.”
When many people think of the word Transgender, they think of someone who has or will transition to the opposite sex. Most people don’t realize that there are many other identities that also fit under this umbrella term, known as Non-Binary genders. There have been examples of this throughout history with the Centuries old Indian Hijras or the Native American Two-spirits.

Today however, people are identifying with many more labels that are less rooted in culture and more rooted in self discovery. These labels explain where people fall on the spectrum, being anything from completely neutral (Neutrois, or Androgyne) or being outside the gender spectrum all together (Agender or Maverique).
When Non Binary genders come into the Transgender discussion, some people get upset, and say that they don’t exist, but that just isn’t true. There are many examples of Non Binary people existing long before any of us started using these labels. The science is still kind of lacking in this area, but people didn’t really start using these labels until the 90s when some of these labels were coined. Only in recent years has visibility for the identity become a thing, so no wonder there aren’t 10 year studies and dissertations on the topic. But history is on our side, and each and every Non Binary person is an example of its existence.
Non Binary people are much like other Transgender people. They experience Gender dysphoria, a term the DSM (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) vol. 5 states as a person being uncomfortable with their body, surrounding ones gender. The only difference is that they experience dysphoria a little differently. For example, a female born person may be uncomfortable with their breasts or their voice. They may wish their chest was flat and their voice was more masculine, however not masculine enough to be perceived as male. They may not want to be Male, but want more masculine characteristics.
They also experience discrimination in a lot of the same ways trans people do, possibly even more so, as it is such an unknown identity spectrum. They struggle with getting health care, and finding jobs or adequate housing, just like trans people do. The difference here is that even some people in the LGBTQ+ community do not accept them.
Unfortunately, Non-Binary genders have been painted to be nonexistent, and somehow linked to attention seeking behavior, due to a vocal minority of people, through YouTube, and Tumblr. At one point in time, pronouns such as Xir/Xim were tried out in the community instead of the gendered He/She. This was quickly made a meme by mainstream media, and created further stigma around the topic of gender.
Now, as Non-Binary people strive to educate people, they are trying to change the way people view them. They fight the stereotypes, and work towards relieving the stigma around their identities. Support has been rallied by other LGBT people and YouTubers such as UpperCaseChase1 (a trans man) and Kat Blaque (a trans POC woman). A community is beginning to grow and bud, with a whole gender tag being produced by Ashley Wylde, a Non-Binary activist, which opened up the conversation to gender expression. Hopefully in the future, Non-Binary Identities will be accepted and treated fairly, like everyone should.

Hello! Welcome to a site dedicated to educating people about Non Binary Identities. Here our goal is to fight discrimination through education about gender, and the various identities that don’t fit into the binary. We hope you can learn from both our personal stories and our articles on the subject of identity, gender expression and discrimination.

My name is Casey, and I identify as NonBinary, but there are so many other identities that fit under that label too. I am the owner of this site, I started this site after finding little to no information on the topic out on the internet. There are lots of negative stereotypes around our gender label, and my goal is to teach people that we as a community are not what the media and society has painted us out to be. I plan on posting weekly, and eventually plan on having guests write as well. I hope that you find this useful, and feel free to shoot me an email if you need anything!